LuxArtAsia

 

UNTITLED (Designer Baby), 2008 Chintan Upadhyay

UNIVERSAL RECIPIENT – 8, 2008 Jitish Kallat

UNTITLED from the “Diagonal Tyeb Mehta

The exhibition begins with paintings by the leaders of the cosmopolitan, avant-garde Progressive Artists’ Group, which was formed in 1947 in Mumbai. One of the leaders of this movement is Maqbool Fida Husain, who has been called the “the Picasso of India” . His themes and symbolism are inspired by Indian mythology. His expressive brushwork and angular forms, however, unmistakably echo European modernism. Husain’s galloping creatures with reared heads in Untitled (Horses), ca. 1970, for example, become  For more information, go to the very informative websiteof the museum

Bohnams will offer Apr 5 the largest known Mughal painting with an estimated price tag of £1 million. The portrait which will lead a sale of works of Indian and Islamic art is a unique painting of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir who ruled India 1605-1627 and is attributed to the Mughal artist Abul Hasan, Nadir al-Zaman or “Wonder of the Age”.  It is done in the style of a European portrait of the early 17th century and the Emperor is shown seated on a gold decorated throne holding a globe, wearing elaborate robes and jewellery.  Alice Bailey, Head of Indian and Islamic Art at Bonhams commented “this is one of the rarest and most desirable 17th century paintings ever to come to auction. There is no other work of its kind known and its importance cannot be underestimated."

As spring is approaching Paris with budding leaves, the mover-and-shakers of fashion and art circles are gathering in this beautiful city for its March Fashion Week. China, the world's second largest economy, will join this global fashion week with a delegation of fashion designers and contemporary artists to display their latest creations. "China in Paris", an event co-organized by China Garments Association and French Federation of Haute Couture which is listed on the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week, will open with an evening Gala, "An Evening of No Boundary---Presenting China Contemporary Creativity".

As one of the leading contemporary artists from China, Zhong Biao will debut his latest monumental painting measuring 4 meters X 3 meters. The painting, titled "Red", is another important work subsequent to his large painting "To Future" which was exhibited during the Shanghai World Expo in 2010. Last year in late April, Zhong Biao presented his major work "To future---2010 Zhong Biao Art Scene in Shanghai" with a convergence of various media and formats including painting, installation, literature, performance, Video, music and design at Shanghai Contemporary Museum.

Hakuin (1685-1768) reinvigorated Zen painting during the eighteenth century, reaching new audiences and inventing new Zen painting subjects. He also authored new kōan, Zen riddles, the best known of which is ‘What is the sound of one hand?’ which has become a part of Western popular culture

Organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art, The Sound of One Hand: Paintings and Calligraphy by Zen Master Hakuin is an exhibition devoted to his art. Hakuin Hakuin invented a new visual language for Zen, using folk and everyday subjects in addition to traditional Zen themes. His influence in both teaching and art remains unequaled in Zen today.

The Orient Expressed: Japan’s Influence on Western Art, 1854-1918, is a new exhibition at the Mississippi Museum of Art, which explores the cultural phenomenon known as Japonisme, through the presentation of more than 200 works of art from the 19th and early 20th centuries. First identified by French art critic Philippe Burty in 1872, Japonisme became a worldwide movement that deeply impacted the visual arts. The resulting influence of these pieces on the visual and decorative arts as well as architecture, music, theater, literature, graphic design, and even fashion was overwhelming and continues to this day. On view are works by Pierre Bonnard, Mary Cassatt, Paul Gauguin, Utagawa Hiroshige,James McNeill Whistler (photo), Tiffany & Co., and many more.

Sotheby’s NY will be selling a remarkable single owner collection of ‘Song’ ceramics on March 23. The ‘Song’ Dynasty (960-1279) produced some of the finest ceramics ever made. Stonewares (ceramics that are fired at high temperatures to ensure strength and durability) had been made in China nearly 3000 years before they first appeared in the West. By the ‘Song’ period, body and glaze recipes were expanding, and new techniques such as decorating pieces with the help of basic carving tools or carefully administered coloring agents were becoming more popular. It was also during this time that ceramics of this type began to be appreciated as works of art.

The exact outcome of each piece varies in the firing, but these ceramics belong to one of four different categories: white, green, black/brown and bright blue-glazed stonewares.

A rare exhibition devoted to Vishnu, one of Hinduism's three major deities, has opened at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, in Nashville, Tennessee. “Vishnu: Hinduism's Blue-Skinned Savior” contains more than 170 paintings, sculptures, textiles, and ritual objects created in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh between the fourth and twentieth centuries.
Known as Hinduism’s gentle god, Vishnu is easily recognized by his blue skin and his poised and calm demeanor, as well as by the objects with which he is traditionally portrayed. While he is an interesting figure in his primary form, the complexity of Vishnu’s character becomes clear when he is represented in the numerous embodiments, or avatars, in which, according to legend, he has descended to earth to save it from a multitude of dangers. The avatars include not only the humans Rama and Krishna, but also animals, ranging from a fish to a turtle to a lion.

Sotheby’s NY sale of Indian and South East Asian Art on March 25 will be led by one of the most important paintings by a modern Indian painter ever to have appeared on the market. Untitled (Reclining Nude) is one of the highlights of Sotheby’s Asia Week series of auctions in New York and carries an auction estimate of $500,000-$700,000. It was acquired by the current owners from the artist over 50 years ago and has never before appeared at auction. Sotheby’s presented the painting to collectors at the recent Indian Art Summit in New Delhi – the first time it had been returned to India since 1960.

Untitled (Reclining Nude) was executed in 1960, at a time when Padamsee produced few paintings and only worked in shades of grey. It was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Montreal the same year. The monotone of the current work gives the figure an amazing subtlety and presence, and stands in contrast to the rich colour palette of his early paintings. Described by the artist as one of his “best” paintings, Untitled (Reclining Nude) is one of only three large paintings from the important Juhu series, with the two equivalent paintings in esteemed private collections. Furthermore, this seminal work is from the same period as the 1959 painting Cityscape, which was sold at Sotheby’s New York in 2006 and holds the current record for the artist at auction.

Jing daily is reporting that Shang Xia, Hermès’ “created in China” luxury brand, will hold its first Culture Object exhibition in Shanghai at the end of this month. Entitled “Pass It On,” it will presents the company’s first collection of photos, stories and historical relics, gathered from people all around China and displayed in a limited-edition box set. The eclectic box set, also called “Pass it On,” only 3,000 of which will be made, includes a 322-page book, two pamphlets in English and French, one aluminum model aircraft, a Chinese Young Pioneer’s League scarf, a classic tin ring, four crystal beads, a vintage train ticket, and a letter from a 21-year-old girl to her earlier self. Running Feb 23-Mar 6.

Following the article in The Art Newspaper and the number of media inquiries that followed, Guy &
Myriam Ullens issued a statement clarifying they still "love Chinese art" but that his dream is "to support and promote a younger generation of artists, as he did with the first generation 25 years ago." (doesn't make it clear if that new generation will be Chinese, though). it said the sale of works at Sotheby's will have no
effect on the day-to-day operations or long-term goals of UCCA. For the past two years, health issues have obliged Mr Ullens to limit his trips and he is unfortunately no longer able to travel as much as he once did. For this reason, Mr Ullens has been looking to set up a board of trustees (made of Chinese shareholders and collectors), to look after UCCA and make sure that it pursues its mission to show the most ambitious and talented artists in China. "Mr Ullens will remain actively involved in UCCA for years to come and this does not change his dedication to the Center or Chinese artists." The Ullens also siad the decision to postpone Ai Weiwei’s exhibition has nothing to do with politics or the future of  UCCA. The exhibition, first scheduled to open in 2010 then in March 2011, has again been delayed – not cancelled, because of time constraints, the large-scale nature of the space at UCCA (over 3000 sq meters) and the artist’s other commitments overseas.

It's hard to render justice to Lee Lee Nam's work with photos. His computer animations recompose and reinterpret previous, often familiar masterpieces, bringing them to life. Swans and butterflies from traditional ink paintings take flight, stories pass through time and space, an enigmatic Mona Lisa is surrounded by a background of war, a series of Van Gogh self-portraits merge into one, seasons changed into a Monet painting, a contemporary city skyline appears in a 19th century landscape. Poetic and magical, and one of the few video works that actually sustain my attention. The Korean artist has a new show opening at Pao Galleries in Hong Kong on Feb 19.

The Art Newspaper is running a very interesting interview with Chinese collector Guy Ullens stating that his dream of running a Chinese art museum is over and that he's looking to hand over the management of his UCCA gallery in Beijing to “long-term partners” and divest himself of the institution. He indicated that the Apr 3 sale at Sotheby's Hong Kong will just be the first of many. Once he has done this, he says he intends to spend more time on his charitable education work in Nepal and return to collecting young artists, with his focus now on Indian rather than Chinese artists.

The Financial Times has an interesting snippet about Art Basel considering a tie-up with Art Hong Kong, though stressing it's not a done deal. Hum, wonder whether ex-Basel man Lorenzo Rudolf, who was this year behind Art Stage Singapore, is lobbying on behalf of Singapore to get in the fray?

The Substation will showcase 100 film posters from Singaporean short and feature films shot in the last 5 years between Feb 28 abd Mar 6. Titled Mise En SIN, a twist of the often-used cinematic term mise-en-scene, the exhibition will be held in conjunction with the Singapore Short Film Awards 2011, dovetailing with its aims to celebrate the resurgence of the filmmaking movement in Singapore seen in recent years.

Thie exhibition is organised by SINdie, an online site fully dedicated to Singapore independent films and filmmakers. To add colour to the exhibition and screening, SINdie and The Substation have commissioned Neo Chun Teck, Singapore’s last-surviving movie billboard artist, to paint a billboard for the week-long event. Visual artist Ming Wong, who won a Venice Biennale award for his work, Life of Imitation, had previously collaborated with Mr Neo. Admission is free and visitors can take home their favourite posters at a contribution that goes back to the filmmakers.

Ming Wong: LIFE OF IMITATION, seems to be everywhere nowadays. The Singaporean artist's award winning work was shown at Art Stage Singapore, and now it's showing at the Frye Art Museum. First presented at the 2009 Venice Biennale, where it won a Special Jury Mention award, the exhibition features multiscreen video installations; billboards by Neo Chon Teck, Singapore’s last surviving billboard painter; rare screen memorabilia; and photographs of cinema palaces. In his installations Wong adapts landmark films of world cinema, such as Douglas Sirk’s Hollywood melodrama Imitation of Life (1959) and in Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000), addressing issues of racial identity and gender.

Sotheby’s has announced it will offer in Hong Kong on April 7, a selection from one of the grandest collections of Chinese Art formed in the last century, The Meiyintang Collection. Assembled over a period of more than 50 years, The Meiyintang Collection is world-renowned for having brought together magnificent examples of Imperial Porcelain and the sale will bring to market iconic pieces from each of the main reigns from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Around 80 lots, could bring an estimated $81-121 million during the special evening sale. One highlight is this Falangcai vase with golden pheasants, Qing Dynasty, AD 1736-95, expected to sell in excess of $23 million (photo). Falangcai designates a style of enamelling on copper, porcelain and glass introduced by European artisans working in the Palace Workshops of the Forbidden City in Beijing, and the painting style here adopted, with its naturalistic rendering of the birds and accomplished shading of the flowers shows the influence of artists such as the Italian Giuseppe Castiglione (AD 1688 – 1766), who served as court painter under three Qing emperors. This vase is unique and works of art such as this are rare even in the former palace collections now in Beijing and Taipei.

Another highlight is a set of seven ‘peach-bloom’ vessels from the Jingdezhen imperial kilns with the Kangxi mark and period (ad 1662-1722). They carry an estimate of $6.4-9 million. This rare mottled copper-red glaze which in the West is referred to as ‘peach bloom’ and in China is likened to apples (pingguo hong) or beans (jiangdou hong), is known from only a very small number of vessel shapes. To assemble a set such as this has become almost impossible, since some vessel shapes are exceedingly rare and virtually unobtainable today.

Ahead of the sale there will be a travelling exhibition: 9-10 March Shanghai, 12-13 March Beijing and 26-27 March Taipei.

During the ‘85 Art Movement, “Rational Painting” became a very strong artistic force; among its advocates were Wang Guangyi and Shu Qun of the Northern Art Group. In response to the sensationalism and over-zealous personality cults in the Cultural Revolution, Wang Guangyi advocated “the liquidation of the enthusiasm of humanity”, applying rational, almost logical analysis in painting. Created in 1988, Mao Zedong: P2 was one of the earliest works of Wang’s Mao Zedong series. Superimposed onto the silhouette of Mao Zedong are bold lines in red and provocative English symbols. Solid and dotted lines representing rational thinking seemingly deconstruct the Mao image, ridding it of excessive adulation. Mao Zedong: P2 is rooted in the same concept of lines and grids as Wang’s earlier works Black Rationality and Red Rationality. Mao Zedong: P2 is an ambitious work, and Wang’s earlier triptych Mao Zedong AC was among the landmark pieces included in the China / Avant Garde Exhibition in 1989. The Mao Zedong series established the artist’s position in the history of contemporary Chinese art and was a precursor to his critically-acclaimed Great Criticism series.

The joint exhibition in 1992 of Liu Wei and Fang Lijun in Beijing made the names for both artists, which led to the coining of the “Cynical Realist style” by prominent art critic Li Xianting. Highly ambitious, Born in 1989 is a rare work by Liu Wei. Similar to other artists who emerged in the 1990s, Liu Wei abandoned grand narratives in his work as a result of political dejection, refocusing his vision to the canvas itself. Liu’s brushstrokes are bold and expressionist in style, his figures distorted but full of an unusual sense of humour. Born in 1989 portrays three babies in pink as they step forward to the unknown future. The title, which is a double entendre, can be seen as a reference to politics or society, an occurrence rarely found in Liu’s body of work.

With every luxury brands opening boutiques left and right in Asia, and in particular China, some are now taking a different tack to attract attention from their customers: a nicely curated art-cum-exhibition. Valentino is now showing in Singapore, Culture Chanel is showing at the MOCA in Shanghai and soon in April  it will be the turn of Diane von Furstenberg to show her touring exhibition "Journey of a Dress” at Pace Gallery Beijing (the show has already shown in Moscow and São Paolo). The exhibition features sketches, designs and the trademark prints that she's produced over four decades, as well as original portraits of her created by friends and admirers like Andy Warhol, Francesco Clemente and Francesco Scavullo. To give the show a local flavor, Pace has asked some of China’s leading artists —conceptual artist Zhang Huan, photographer Hai Bo, painter Li Songsong, and multimedia artist Yi Zhou— to create their own portraits of the fashion diva.

"The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City" has just opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The show features 90 objects from the 27-building garden sanctuary, built at Emperor Qianlong's request in the northeast corner of Beijing's Forbidden City.

That same day, the auction house will continue with a sale of over 200 lots of fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art with an estimate of around $8 million. Among the highlights will be a rare large Imperial Zitan Long Table (Tiaoan), Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period estimated at $500/700,000 and a carved Celadon Jade Brushpot, Qing Dynasty, 18th/19th Century which leads the jade in the sale, and is expected to realise $300/400,000.